Andrew Tompkins of Paramęcium

Andrew TompkinsHey Andrew, greetings from Germany! I heard you were working on the next Paramęcium CD - when is it going to be released?
We've done a fair bit of recording and there isn't actually a lot of work in finishing it from here. Previous albums have actually been done within about a ten day period but I've been so busy with my other businesses that I haven't found the time to complete it this year. I'll have more time in late December though so hopefully I can get stuck into it again and get it out early 2001.

What has always fascinated me about Paramęcium is that every album has its own concept, its own theme, its own "personality" somehow (for example, "Within the Ancient Forest" being based on a novel you wrote, or "Exhumed..." telling the story of Jesus“ life, death and resurrection). Is there anything you could tell us about what the next album is going to be like, regarding its content?
I can't tell you anything really at this stage because, unlike other albums, I've worked on the music first and most of the lyrics have not been written yet. The first album explained the life of Christ, the second album explained how I became a Christian, the third album talked about life as a Christian, and the fourth album - well, perhaps I'll revisit the gospels. Who knows?

Well, to stay within the chronology, maybe you should write about the apocalypse... => which I guess would be Paramęcium's contribution to the general market trend ;-). What will the music be like?
The music will be similar in style to our last album, the guitars are a bit heavier though and the drumming more adventurous. I held the reins a little too tightly on the drumming when producing the last album and Mark wasn't free to express himself so I'd like him to explore the music more on this album. The vocals will once again be a mixture of styles; clean singing and death vocals. And, of course, strings, flutes and female sopranos will make another appearance.

Sounds good... Speaking of drummers, I miss Jayson Sherlock! Do you know, by the way, whether he is the man behind Horde?
Jayson left Paramęcium five years ago.

Right... so I guess you don't know about Horde... Anyway, next question: Do you have any contact to or knowledge of any particular (secular) 'scene' in Australia? And are there lots of Christians in the scene?
We haven't played a show in years so we really have no connection with the scene here. It's not actually very strong anyway these days and the Christians in the scene are few and far between. The Christian metal scene was largest in about 1994 and 1995 and has seen a steady decline since then.

That's strange, as I remember that Rowe Productions ad labelling Australia the "Home of Christian Metal"... Whom or what would you blame for this decline?
That was just a marketing tag to sell CDs because most of their bands were initially Australian. The decline came about because I think everyone grew up, got real jobs and started families and after a while the metal scene looks a little less attractive I suppose. Also, metal has seen a decline in Australia overall - pop music has made a huge comeback.

Well, fortunately, there are always exceptions. By the way, have you heard Virgin Black's latest CD? It's awesome!
No. Haven't heard that one. They wrote to us once but I haven't heard their music.

Well, I think it's great. Another thing I wanted to ask: Will the new CD feature Ian Arkley? - I just read an interview in which he said that he wasn't a full member of Paramęcium, and that he just filled in as a guitar player and basic songwriter on "A Time to Mourn".
That's right. He won't be on the next album.

Who will fill in for him?
Myself and another guitarist have recorded the guitars for the fourth album.

Oh...This is the first time you played guitar on a CD, isn't it?
That's right. With the style that we play in Paramęcium, which is predominantly slow, I have no troubles on guitar and I've handed the more complex work to a friend so it's turned out extremely well.

Well, I'm looking forward to hearing it... and to reading your new short story! By the way, will there ever be a sequel to your novel "Within the Ancient Forest"?
I have thought about that in the past and some people have brought that up, but I don't have any immediate plans. At this stage I want to concentrate on getting some short stories published and then look at ideas for future novels. If you're interested in my writing, visit www.andrewtompkins.com.

Interesting... However, my best wishes for your future work! And thank you for the interview.

Interview by Patrick Maiwald; January 2001